Mastering Tortillas

Making your own tortillas is well worth the extra time - only as much time as it takes to make pancakes and just about as easy.

All you need is masa (either prepared or mixed at home from instant masa flour), a tortilla press, two small plastic bags and a griddle or "comal."

A comal is a round or oval skillet, usually made of aluminum, sheet metal or cast iron, traditionally used in Mexican kitchens to cook tortillas. Both comals and tortilla presses are available in Hispanic markets as well as through many online sources such as www.mexgrocer.com, www.mifiesta.com and www.cooking.com.

Make the masa using masa flour, water and salt (follow the directions on the package) and mix it with your hands until it's smooth and pliant. Or use prepared masa, which is available from many Hispanic markets.

The dough should be soft and easy to work with; if it's crumbly, mix in a little more water. Form the dough into balls, about 1 1/2 ounces each - or about the size of a golf ball. Cover with plastic wrap so they don't dry out.

Heat an ungreased comal or skillet over medium heat. While the comal is heating, place one of the plastic bags on the open tortilla press to keep the dough from sticking, then put one of the balls of masa on the bag, pressing it a little with your fingers to flatten it. Put the other bag on top of the dough, then press down firmly to make the tortilla. The tortilla should be thin, about 1/8 of an inch.

Open up the press and peel off the top bag. Carefully pull the second bag off the flattened tortilla.

With your fingers, lay the tortilla flat onto the comal and cook for about 30 seconds, or until the dough loses its shine.

Flip the tortilla with a spatula and cook on the other side for about 1 minute, until it begins to brown. If the tortilla begins to burn or colors too quickly, turn down the heat. Flip again and cook for 15 seconds or so more, pushing down on the tortilla with a spatula so that it puffs up slightly, like pita bread. Once the tortilla has puffed and has a little color on both sides, remove from the comal.